In my wake
by Katniss212
Summary: Conan and Hakase are keeping a secret from Ai. She does some investigating and ends up in a sticky situation, while also manageing to hurt herself. AiXConan-ShinichXShiho
1. Whispers

**Hey, this is my first story, so it'll probably be a little shaky. Give me some feedback! (Please)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own DC. And that is just something I have to deal with.**

**A/N: This is my first fan fiction story, so It's a little shaky…**

**Chapter One**

Ai Haibara lay in her bed, unable to sleep once again. This would not be her first sleepless night. Far from it, in fact, for she must have more nights where she lays awake than when she actually sleeps in a disturbed dream that caused her to toss and turn in her unconsciousness.

Tonight, her thoughts were bitterly occupied by Shinichi Kudo, who she could swear was hiding something from her. He was downstairs, whispering to Hakase _again. _Though Ai strained her ears, she could not hear their full conversation, only picking up bits and pieces.

"I have this feeling……No, I only didn't say anything……wouldn't ………files…..Please?......Yea, I agree…."

It was extremely frustrating to Ai that she wasn't being told this as well. Why wasn't she, in fact? She wasn't some little, innocent girl, she could handle it!

Suddenly, she heard her name. Ai tried to focus her attention back to the whispers that just barely carried to her ears, straining them harder at the mention of herself.

They must have lowered their voices, though, because Ai couldn't hear anything, except for a low murmur that proved they were still talking. She rolled over, about to lay down on the floor with her ear pressed against it to try to make out some of their conversation.

In her haste, though, she misjudged her position, rolling off of the bed entirely with a loud, echoing _THUMP_ that hurt her side immensely.

She was just lying there, curled in slightly toward her aching flank, when she heard the door creak open.

"Are you alright, Ai? I heard-" he suddenly cut off, apparently noticing me in a heap on the floor. "Ai!! Ai? Are you alright? Ai?!"

I swallowed hard, my voice a high squeak when I replied, "I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Just fine."

"What happened?" Hakase demanded, almost hysteric. _Well, I heard you and Kudo down there, then I heard my name, and when I tried to listen, I fell. _Yeah, right. Like I could just say that. So I lied, smoothly replying the most believable story I could think of.

"I was running…from Gin. He had a gun, and he shot, and it hit my side, and I fell… It was all a dream, but the next thing I knew I was lying on the floor, with nothing all that different, except the scenery. Same pain in the side. So apparently, HE still manages to hurt me even when he isn't here." My voice still had a strange squeak to it, and I tried to cover my nerves and my lie with a sarcastic remark. I'm fairly certain it worked, because he didn't question my story. I laughed weakly, a raspy, hollow sound that bubbled up my throat. The sound had a dark lilt to it after it passed roughly over my tongue.

Hakase just stood there, staring at me for what must have been at least five minutes, before walking over to me very, very slowly, like I was some shaking rabbit that would flee if he made one wrong move. He reached down and picked me up, all at the same painstakingly slow speed.

He sat me down on my bed, turning his attention to my side.

"Are you…Does it hurt?" he asked, eying me strangely. I must have been giving him a funny look, or something, because he suddenly added, "Don't want to give you pain, if you're injured."

He extended his hand down towards my side, to examine it, but I pushed it away. "I can check it myself." Hakase winced at my tone, which was layered at the anger and annoyance I felt towards him and Kudo for keeping a secret from me.

I ignored the raw ache that shot through me when I put pressure on my side. I pushed harder, though, brushing the bone, until I felt something. My bottom right rib was cracked. Of course. What a stupid damn way to hurt yourself! I was mad at myself, paused in the same position while I festered silently. I could feel my face drain of heat.

I looked back up at Hakase's worried face. "Oh, it's just a bruise. I'll be fine. But I hit my head to, and I'm going to go take some Advil," I said, trying to come up with an excuse. I could treat a crack myself, but I wasn't stupid. Pain medication would be very nice right now. Extremely good, in fact, I thought as I walked around Hakase and to the door.

"Wait! I'll, um, get it for you," Hakase said, a little fidgety. Ah, so apparently Kudo was still here.

"Oh, no, don't bother yourself, I can get it." I wanted to catch that Kudo, who I was especially mad at now, for all of it. For keeping secrets, for saying my name, for whispering then so I couldn't hear, and I even slightly blamed him for my cracked rib. I knew it wasn't his fault, but it felt good to blame someone, nonetheless.

I hurried through the doorframe before Hakase could react, keeping a hand at my side to numb the prickles of pain I felt crawling there. I had the odd sensation of being wrapped in barbed wire, which was rubbing against me with every breath I took.

I pretended not to see the surprised 7-year old looking Kudo who went by Conan as his cover-up name, and went straight for the medicine cabinet. It annoyed me to have to pretend I didn't see him, but I knew that I had better take medicine immediately. And let me tell you, I certainly wanted that medicine. The pain was a searing burn now, engulfing my mind. I downed the small pill quickly, taking two instead of one. Then I turned until I faced Conan, and let my expression slip to that of shock.

"K-Kudo?" I raised my voice an octave at the end, making my tone sound questioning and slipping on my regular mask of cold indifference. If he saw the pain I was feeling written across my face, he would know, and make me go to the hospital. _I won't go. I will be kicking and screaming. _I thought.

Conan was still reeling at my presence, obviously annoyed that he had been found out. He seemed to notice my lack of a reaction, though, because I could see suspicion creeping into his expression. Not the best feeling, to know that a detective realizes something is off when you're hiding something from him.

I glared at him. "Here for a midnight snack?"

Hakase came rushing down the stairs, murmuring "I'm sorry" and other things to that effect.

Conan spared him the briefest of glances that practically oozed anger and discomfort.

"Well?" I asked, forcing him to give me his attention once more. "What are you doing here?"


	2. Chain

**a/n: I realized after I posted the story that I repeated it was my first one and might be a little shaky twice after I posted it… so, yeah, sorry…**

**Thanks for the reviews! (please write me more)**

**Chapter two**

I stared at Conan as he gawked at me, trying to figure out how to answer my question. I pressed my hand harder into my side, willing the Advil to kick in faster. I brushed the cracked bone with my fingertips, trying to get a more accurate assessment of the injury. I'd never had a cracked bone before, but I don't think it should hurt this bad…

Conan was just (finally) opening his mouth to explain what was going on, or to protest, when my examination of my rib hit a snag. Oh, god. Oh god oh god oh god. My fingers felt where the outer half of my rib had shifted position slightly, and felt the full extent of my wound. No wonder it didn't feel like a crack. (Pain wise) It wasn't one. My rib was _broken._

And right at that moment, saving Kudo from having to tell me what he was doing here, and dooming me in so many ways, I sank to the floor. My legs buckled beneath me and I just went _plop! _Right then and there. Maybe it was because of the pain, or maybe it was my fault for taking two tablets of Advil, or maybe all the nights I spent lying awake were finally catching up to me. Either way, my vision turned to black, and I passed out, forced to enter into the state of sleep, which avoided me so.

~*~*~*~*~

I woke with crisp, thin sheets tangled with my legs. The walls were an eye-achingly bright white, and the smell of Lysol satiated the air.

I remember realizing that I was in a hospital, and anger radiating out from my core, before a thin, sharp needle pierced into my arm.

I saw a dark figure to the side of my bed as I fell back against my pillow. "Kudo, you jerk-" I managed to choke out, before I was cut off by the crushing weight of the anesthetic that forced sleep upon me like a chain, uncaring of your will, simply trapping you with it's cold metal.


	3. Unconscious

**Sorry it's taken so long to update. But here it is. It's supposed to be short.**

Third person

Gins hand, still clasping the release button on the stun-gun watch, was held suspended in the air, his lips broken in what can only be described as a cocky grin. His cold glare fixed in one place, staring at the unconscious body of a child laying limply on the hospital bed in front of him. The only sound was of breathing. Gin's, the small girl's, and the raspy, labored breathing that came from the motionless bodies behind him, the ones that had been in this room to see him enter. He tossed the watch over his shoulder, in the direction of the small boy he had taken it off of.

Then, roughly, he scooped the girl from her pristine hospital bed and threw her over his shoulder. Gin stopped at the boy, a thought occurring to him suddenly. This boy, who was the same size as the mysteriously young Sherry, was the owner of the stun-gun watch. Sherry had muttered something about Kudo when she had been his with the tranquilizer needle. Same hair color, striking resemblance…

Without further delay or questioning, he threw the boy over his other shoulder and strolled out the door, heading back to his car. He then, after dumping the two unconscious bodies into his back seat, he opened the sleek, dark door for his back Porsche, slipping into the driver's seat. The engine growled to life and the car drove away, leaving only the silver watch that had slid off the boy's body.


End file.
